June in the Berkshires – Time to Plan for Summer Camps
By Ann Claffie
June 2008
With summer approaching, we have been making plans for summer camp for our son, Robert. The Berkshires is legendary for its summer camps, ranging from half-day programs for youngsters at area museums, to full-day and overnight programs for older kids in country and lakeside settings—even a Gilded Age mansion.
Belvoir Terrace, Lenox, founded in 1954, is a summer camp open to girls in grades three to eleven, emphasizing individual development, program excellence and camper friendships. 
Art, dance, music, theater and sports programs are offered, full of excitement and fun—perfect for young women.
Belvoir Terrace is rather unique in that it was built as a summer “cottage” (mansion) during the Gilded Age, in the late 19th century. The gardens and stone terrace here were designed by perhaps the greatest of landscape architect in the nineteenth century, Frederick Law Olmsted. Preservation and restoration have made this location very appealing.
Further south in the Berkshires, Camp Half-Moon in Great Barrington is a traditional camp. Currently in its 86th year, it features both day and overnight programs for boys and girls up to age 15. Adjacent to Lake Buel, it’s great for boating and Half-Moon even has theater space for movies.
Sports camps in the Berkshires are equally popular. Camp Greylock in Becket is one of the oldest summer camps in the country, founded in 1916. Boys learn to improve their physical skill levels, as well as their sportsmanship. Cool activities like wind-surfing, ropes courses and climbing walls ensure kids love for this camp.
At Camp Winadu, Pittsfield, campers select from a host of sports, including baseball, basketball, hockey and soccer, plus speed training and martial arts.
“Camp rocks!” Robert recently exclaimed, “I can do a lot of neat things during the day and still play with my friends after supper or on the weekends.”
After selecting several weeks of day camps for fun learning we also agreed on one week for an overnight camp which Robert finds equally exciting.
Other kids’ activities to think about this month include a visit to Berkshire Museum’s Native Peoples: Northeast-Northwest. Each Saturday, June 7, 14, and 21, at 11 a.m., visitors may explore Native American traditions by making different cultural art projects such as moccasins, musical instruments and baskets.
3rd Thursdays, a warm weather monthly street festival in downtown Pittsfield invites kids all ages to sing, dance and enjoy great food from 5-8 p.m. For sure, June 19 is already marked off on our calendar for an evening of great fun!
Don’t forget Father’s Day, celebrated this year on Sunday, June 22. The Berkshires has several really neat special events to coincide with honoring “Dad.” First, The Clark Museum’s new Stone Hill Center opens on June 22, coinciding with its monthly Community Day festival. Throughout the afternoon, special tours will be conducted 
inside the new center, featuring additional art collections and observation decks allowing families to view work being done to preserve art. Also, there will be musicians performing traditional Japanese taiko, a barbeque and other activities.
Bisque, Beads and Beyond, Pittsfield offers painting workshops throughout June for tots working with clay molds. Kids seven and up will splatter paint on clay plates as a type of a 4th of July celebration. Kids can also learn to make clay stepping stones for family gardens. This is an ideal opportunity for making a Father’s Day gift.
My family is planning a Father’s Day celebration at the Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, (massaudubon.org) Lenox. On Sunday, June 22, at 11 a.m. families will learn about Frogs and Friends. At 2 p.m., Live Birds of Prey will be introduced. Live music, hands-on –activities, story-telling and a bunch of other fun things will be happening.
Yikes – there’s so much more to write about! Come and see for yourself – perhaps you and your kids will soon be happy campers in the Berkshires!
About Ann Claffie
A Berkshires native, Ann grew up in Dalton as the oldest of five children who were encouraged to use their imaginations for fun and play. Today, married and living in Pittsfield, Ann and her husband enjoy family fun and adventure with their nine year old son. She has been on staff at the Berkshire Visitors Bureau for more than ten years.